Judges handling cars and car labeling

Discussions on race planning, preparations and how to run a "fair" and fun race.
Post Reply
User avatar
Stan Pope
Pine Head Legend
Pine Head Legend
Posts: 6856
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 7:01 pm
Location: Morton, Illinois
Contact:

Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Stan Pope »

dave4him inquired, "Any thoughts on how design judges are to/not to handle the cars? I searched the forums and haven't read much about how others treat this topic. The ID number on top is a solution, not my preference though. Bottom is better but of no help to the judge."

Hmmm ... Judges would like to turn the cars over and over in their hands ... and I understand that desire. But it does place the cars at risk ... especially if the cars are involved in racing. So, as a matter of policy, our cars may only be touched by the car's owner until racing is complete.

Our identification uses self-adhesive spots with hand-written number. The car's owner decides where to place the spot, but he must place it so that it is visible from above.

You could also label each car's "parking space" in the pits, which would allow car labeling to be less critical. Some of my pit tables have labeled parking spots, but the labeling is covered by the cars. That can be improved easily, but we don't run with "assigned parking spaces."
Stan
"If it's not for the boys, it's for the birds!"
User avatar
dave4him
Pine Head
Pine Head
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 8:46 pm
Location: Branford, FL

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by dave4him »

Stan Pope said:
Our identification uses self-adhesive spots with hand-written number. The car's owner decides where to place the spot, but he must place it so that it is visible from above.

You could also label each car's "parking space" in the pits, which would allow car labeling to be less critical. Some of my pit tables have labeled parking spots, but the labeling is covered by the cars. That can be improved easily, but we don't run with "assigned parking spaces."
That's the only two solutions available.
The "Parking Permit" or slot labeling has worked for us. Once the racing has started, the design judging is over anyway and if a clubber places his/her car in different slot---there's no problem with that.
For the label on top or side of the car option, maybe someone should design some cool numbered labels, i.e., a checkered flag decal with embedded numbers, you get the idea :idea:

About a little 'numbered' curb, painted white of course :)
David L. Barnes
"Reaching boys and girls with the Gospel of Christ, to train them to serve Him"
User avatar
Darin McGrew
Pine Head Legend
Pine Head Legend
Posts: 1825
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2003 1:23 pm
Location: Knoxville, TN
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Darin McGrew »

We label both the car and its parking space on the storage rack.

The car is labeled with a small adhesive label with handwritten numbers. The label must be visible from the front/top of the car, but the car owner can place it.

The parking space is labeled on the downhill strip of wood that the wheels rest against. The nose of the car often covers this number, but then the number on the car should be visible.
User avatar
Da Graphite Kid
Master Pine Head
Master Pine Head
Posts: 327
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 6:29 pm
Location: Eufaula, AL.

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Da Graphite Kid »

We started labeling the undersides of the cars as no one wants a colored dot or sticky mess on their pinewood work of art. We also label the ‘parking space’ for each car as well. The trick to all of this is that the car handlers have to ensure that they get the correct car from each space and that it is returned to the correct space.


Da Graphite Kid
User avatar
kcobb
Journeyman
Journeyman
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Alexandria, Va
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by kcobb »

We used similar approaches. We printed labels numbering the cars. Each boy has already been entered into our database and been assigned a # prior to the race. If they don't show, the number is is dropped and not used. When they check in, a small label is placed on the bottom side of the car with the number. The checkin official issued the boy a "race" or "show" card depnding upon their choice. They then proceed to the pit area and the pit crew places their car in their assigned slot, which already has the numbers labeled. Colored stickers represented each rank level beside the number on the slot. Another dot sticker was placed by each car slot that entered the show only category. Thus the judges knew which cars were in which class and which cars to judge in those classes. The below picture is the pit area we designed to incorporate this idea.

Image
Kevin
User avatar
Darin McGrew
Pine Head Legend
Pine Head Legend
Posts: 1825
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2003 1:23 pm
Location: Knoxville, TN
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Darin McGrew »

kcobb wrote:The checkin official issued the boy a "race" or "show" card depnding upon their choice.[...] Another dot sticker was placed by each car slot that entered the show only category. Thus the judges knew which cars were in which class and which cars to judge in those classes.
Does that mean that cars can be entered in the race or in the design competition, but not both?
User avatar
kcobb
Journeyman
Journeyman
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Alexandria, Va
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by kcobb »

Darin,

No. I should have clarified that better. In our local pack race, we allow the boys to join both. However, if they decide to build a car out of the race specifications for show, they only enter the show. If the boys win in speed, they are not able to win show. This allows more of the boys to have an opportunity to go home with a trophy. I know at our district races, it's strictly race or show, but locally we try to give all the boys a chance. However we still signify any cars that are show only by placing a colored dot next to the # on the car slot. I hope this clarifies this. As a matter of fact, we discovered following the race, that my son would have won show 1st place had he joined show only but since he also raced, he won 2nd in race, allowing another boy to win in show.
Kevin
User avatar
Darin McGrew
Pine Head Legend
Pine Head Legend
Posts: 1825
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2003 1:23 pm
Location: Knoxville, TN
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Darin McGrew »

kcobb wrote:In our local pack race, we allow the boys to join both. However, if they decide to build a car out of the race specifications for show, they only enter the show.
Ah, now I understand. We might allow a "show only" entry if someone came in with an overweight (or oversized) car that couldn't be fixed without compromising the design. Actually, we essentially did that with my "Calvin & Hobbes" car, when someone noticed during registration that it wouldn't fit under our finish gate. It raced, but I caught it before it reached the finish gate. Fortunately, it was slow enough that there was never a question about what place it should have taken. ;-) (The following year, we added a maximum height to our "fit the track" rules.)

But it isn't something we'd want to formalize or encourage.
kcobb wrote:If the boys win in speed, they are not able to win show. This allows more of the boys to have an opportunity to go home with a trophy.
Sorry, but this is a hot-button issue for me. IMHO, if you want more boys to go home with a trophy, then you should award more trophies. Anyone who builds a car that is fast enough to win the race and attractive enough to win the judges' approval should win both a speed award and a design award.

The approach you describe essentially turns the design awards into consolation prizes for those who don't win the race.
User avatar
kcobb
Journeyman
Journeyman
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Alexandria, Va
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by kcobb »

I can appreciate your feelings. However, we had to work within a budget and can only afford so many trophies. With that I have to agree with our committe's decision to spread the trophies. I wanted more for other things which couldn't be budgeted, so I created customized certificates to issue to the fastest boy in the pack, as well as the fastest overall den (as our software also combines teams). In the end the event went very well.
Kevin
User avatar
Darin McGrew
Pine Head Legend
Pine Head Legend
Posts: 1825
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2003 1:23 pm
Location: Knoxville, TN
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Darin McGrew »

kcobb wrote:I can appreciate your feelings. However, we had to work within a budget and can only afford so many trophies. With that I have to agree with our committe's decision to spread the trophies.
For the past several years, we've been awarding trophies only for the top speed and design awards, and have been awarding medals for everything else. The medals are less expensive than the trophies, so it isn't a problem to give out a few more of them, and the kids like wearing them around their necks as they pose for pictures during the final awards ceremonies.
User avatar
kcobb
Journeyman
Journeyman
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Alexandria, Va
Contact:

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by kcobb »

For the past several years, we've been awarding trophies only for the top speed and design awards, and have been awarding medals for everything else.
We award 1st through 3rd trophies in ea category. I do like your approach as well. Worth a discussion at our next committee meeting. Thanks!
Kevin
Jthompson

Re: Judges handling cars and car labeling

Post by Jthompson »

Darin,

Thanks for the tip on covering up the number in the pit. I just redesigned our pit row based upon your comment and have added extra area in front of the car so a large number that can be seen. I have used 1 x 8 pine boards and angled 1 x 2 pine with the front end cut at a 30 degree angle for easier viewing of the number. There are 10 cars per board.

We label both the car and its parking space on the storage rack.

The parking space is labeled on the downhill strip of wood that the wheels rest against. The nose of the car often covers this number, but then the number on the car should be visible.
Post Reply